[fish3191]

TLDR: Looking for a sub $500-600 Hybrid Amp and DAC to warm up my HD800S but can also be used on my low impedance Denon D7000. Used is fine if that is needed to keep it under budget.

I was originally selling my D7000 to go for the HD800S and a more expensive DAC/amp setup for it, but was convinced to keep the D7000. That way I have a nice bassy closed headphone that I have always loved and then now have the open HD800S to complement it.

Now that I'm keeping the D7000s, I'm short on cash and for the mean time am looking for a budget Amp and DAC for my HD800S that could also be used for my D7000. Preferably under $500 and then save up for a higher end setup in the future. Used is fine to keep it under budget.

Anyways I'm looking for something to warm up and maybe add some more bass to my HD800S. I know that tube amps are the best for them, but was thinking a hybrid may work well so that I can also use it for my low impedance D7000. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[PurpleAngel]

My two cents.
Audio-GD NFB-11.28, about $400 (unit + shipping).
http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFN1128/NFB1128EN.htm
Can be used with headphones from 8-Ohm to 600-Ohm.
It's a solid state headphone amplifier, but comes with a line-output (RCA), so you could connect a tube head amp at a later date.

 

[fish3191]

May I ask what you like about it? Have you used it before with an HD800S or HD800 before? I researched it a little bit and it does seem a bit warmer than most solid states and it would be nice to add a tube amplifier to the DAC output later on. Hoping to find something that could hold the line for the HD800S for quite a while. Don't know how long it'll take for me to save up.

I also have the 1/4" or balanced XLR for the 800S. Wondering if I should go for an amp that also has balanced out, but know those can add on the prices.

 

[PurpleAngel]

May I ask what you like about it? Have you used it before with an HD800S or HD800 before? I researched it a little bit and it does seem a bit warmer than most solid states and it would be nice to add a tube amplifier to the DAC output later on. Hoping to find something that could hold the line for the HD800S for quite a while. Don't know how long it'll take for me to save up.
I also have the 1/4" or balanced XLR for the 800S. Wondering if I should go for an amp that also has balanced out, but know those can add on the prices.

I do not own the HD800S.
So far I've own the Audio-GD NFB-15.32 and NFB-15 and now the NFB-11.28
My NFB-11.28 drives all my headphones, which range from 32-Ohms to 600-Ohms
Audio-GD offers models with balanced headphone outputs, but your looking at $680 + shipping ($40?)
I've never been into balanced headphones myself.

 

[fish3191]

The HD800(S) can be picky and I don't see a lot of people recommending the 11.28 for it which is making me apprehensive.

I spoke with a few people and read some forums and it seems some initial setups that pair well with the HD800(S) are Schiit stacks. Super affordable is the Modi Multibit + Vali 2 Hybrid. Then for a bit more could either go Modi or Bifrost MB + Valhalla 2 OTL or the Lyr 3 Hybrid all in one with MB inside. Sounds like the hybrid Vali 2 or the Lyr 3 would be best for low impedance HPs. The Valhalla is OTL, but it can be used with it's low impedance mode. The one thing that holds me back on the Lyr 3 is only a USB input for the DAC. I guess I could always get a Modi or Bifrost separate for that if I want the other inputs though.

Any recommendations to push me towards one of those options or something else?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

The HD800(S) can be picky and I don't see a lot of people recommending the 11.28 for it which is making me apprehensive.

Because they deliberately want to color the sound with an amplifier, which, going by its name, is an amplifier, so its job is simply to amplify an incoming input signal to a stronger signal without adding as much noise and distortion as it increases power. It's sort of understandable when using a TT or a plain CDP, but a computer as a source makes using actual digital equalizers that will target the actual frequency range that has a problem - like for example the 6000hz to 9000hz range on an HD800 or the 3000hz to 4000hz range on an HD600 - you might as well just use the equalizer to target the problem. Using a warmifying boombasticator disguised as an amp to work with more than one headphone is like carpet bombing vs the equalizer's GPS, laser, infrared, etc equipped cruise missile. Or a whole company of Napoleon's infantry with muskets vs a US Civil War sharpshooter taking out a general leading an infantry brigade.

A few might have an existing TT, or even a CDP or DAC that they like, and the NFB-11 only has digital inputs.

I spoke with a few people and read some forums and it seems some initial setups that pair well with the HD800(S) are Schiit stacks. Super affordable is the Modi Multibit + Vali 2 Hybrid. Then for a bit more could either go Modi or Bifrost MB + Valhalla 2 OTL or the Lyr 3 Hybrid all in one with MB inside.

Schiit amps aren't exactly all that warm. Even the original Lyr and Valhalla have sharper upper midrange/lower treble than a Meier Cantate.2 when all are cranked up.

Sounds like the hybrid Vali 2 or the Lyr 3 would be best for low impedance HPs. The Valhalla is OTL, but it can be used with it's low impedance mode.

It doesn't have a low impedance mode. What it has is a very low output impedance (for an OTL amp) especially when set to Low Gain mode.

The problem there is that on OTL amps the power delivery graph is flipped. It outputs more power at 300ohms than at 32ohms. Even the output at 600ohms is still higher than at 100ohms. The lower power output combined with lower gain aren't exactly a good idea when using low impedance, low sensitivity headphones. It's going to work fine and not distort the bass output on a Grado given their high sensitivity (plus a few others), but many other low impedance headphones tend to have lower sensitivity. Subjectively some might deliberately set it to high gain to get loud enough as well as deliberately use the distortion profile if it suits their subjective preferences.

The one thing that holds me back on the Lyr 3 is only a USB input for the DAC. I guess I could always get a Modi or Bifrost separate for that if I want the other inputs though

Modi3 would be cost effective but it wouldn't hurt to still order the Lyr3 with the basic USB DAC module so you have a back up.

Any recommendations to push me towards one of those options or something else?

Save the money (if you don't have an amp yet, get soemthing cheap - like the Modi3 and Magni3) and get something else that will do what you want later, like a Burson Soloist (note: it does more to boost the low end, not as much in rolling off the top end, vs something like a Meier, so it can happen that it doesn't do much more in that regard vs a Magni3), or a Violectric V200. Or try a transformer coupled tube amp like the WooAudio WA6 and try other tubes on it to add the kind of distortion that you want to get.

Or just use a digital EQ with an NFB-11.28.